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Archive | November 2012

November 25 1966, The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their UK live debut at the Bag O’Nails Club, London! (via thisdayinmusic.com)

I always wanted to be the Jimi Hendrix of piano but nobody ever let me play that loud. At some point in my life I will play that loud. Don’t worry about my hearing – I’m already deaf! 🙂

I played with Michael Powers at Terra Blues a couple of weeks ago for the first time. He plays a lot of Hendrix and we jammed on Hey Joe for about 20 minutes! I had a blast, so was excited to see today was a Jimi Hendrix day!

We are back from Virginia. It was a long ass drive – – traffic was brutal what with the Thanksgiving weekend coming to an end but we listened to music and comedy (Chris Rock, Wanda Sykes, Louis CK) and got home in time for Sunday night television (Revenge, Walking Dead).

We’re going to have to go to the gym a lot this week to make up for eating piggy-like. We tried to be healthy but it wasn’t easy finding green stuff on menus, and last night the only rstaurant open after 11 p.m was Joe’s Crab Shack. Also, why the hell are we eating dinner at 11p.m ? But we did start each hotel morning with a green smoothie – carrying that Blendtec with us wherever we go!

Here’s Hey Joe for today in music. And I’ll be back (after the gym and some catching up on work) with more tomorrow.

I never got to play for Big Joe Turner but I have always used the chorus of his Shake, Rattle and Roll somewhere in my night’s set list. Not until today did i ever know the words to the verse. It’s a liitle cold him singing about his woman shake rattling and rollin’, how he can’t believe all a that stuff is hers! I thought we were all shake rattling and rolling. Dancing or something. Oh well!

I’m in a hotel room in Fairfax, Virginia with Claudia and Casey. We’re going to Casey’s Chanticleer concert tonight at George Mason University.

Being in this neighborhood reminds me of my childhood with my Uncle Tom and Aunt Agnes and my cousins. They lived nearby here in Vienna, Virginia and I spent so much time with them They were great. I miss them.

Can’t wait to hear my son sing tonight!!!! Claudia and I will shake rattle and roll ourselves over to the concert hall.

November 23, 1953 Happy Birthday to French singer/songwriter Francis Cabrel!

french day

As a working musician in New York City what you are never sure of is if any of your friends or fans will show up at the gig.

The one thing I can count on is that our dear friend and biggest fan Elodie Pauwels will always be there. Elodie is French and has been coming to see my shows for the past 4 years. She has also been bringing all her French friends who visit to see the band with her.

I can’t remember how it happened but somehow I mentioned that I should sing a song in French, so of course everytime i see Elodie she would remind me I said that. So finally it worked out that one of her favorite French singer/songwriter’s birthday coincided with my son Casey who sings and speaks French being home. Of course, this means that it wasn’t me who actually sang in French, but I think she got a better deal having Casey.

So, Happy Birthday Francis Cabrel and this is dedicated to Elodie, who will be leaving NY and returning, after 5 years, to France in December.

PS – we are going to have a combination going away party for Elodie and birthday party for myself and Holiday shindig at my December 11 Stinger gig. Everyone is invited.

PPS Elodie has translated today’s blog into French (and it’s quite possible she added her own 2 cents into the French version below the video….)*

It’s Thanksgivin’ and I’m stuffed. Claudia and I have been eating carefully but today I went crazy. I just couldn’t stop eating. It was that good! But now I want to take a nap for about 3 days.

We picked up Casey at Newark this morning at 6 a.m. Great to have both my boys home for Thanksgiving and my in-laws Mike and Juliette were over. A simple, nice Thanksgiving and as usual Claudia cooked for 15 people even though we had 6.

We’re going to record Casey tonight and then we are going to drive him to Virginia tomorrow and see his Chanticleer concert.

I am not going to eat ever again!

I love The Nearness of You. There’s a version by Norah Jones that i really like.